Chapter 27 - Page 2

quickened his movements a little, in order to
avoid the dramatic appearance of returning at the precise instant
set as the utmost limit of his absence. Still, accident had interfered
to defeat the last intention, for when the young man put his foot
on the point, and advanced with a steady tread towards the group of
chiefs that was seated in grave array on a fallen tree, the oldest
of their number cast his eye upward, at an opening in the trees,
and pointed out to his companions the startling fact that the sun
was just entering a space that was known to mark the zenith. A
common, but low exclamation of surprise and admiration escaped every
mouth, and the grim warriors looked at each other, some with envy
and disappointment, some with astonishment at the precise accuracy
of their victim, and others with a more generous and liberal feeling.
The American Indian always deemed his moral victories the noblest,
prizing the groans and yielding of his victim under torture, more
than the trophy of his scalp; and the trophy itself more than his
life. To slay, and not to bring off the proof of victory, indeed,
was scarcely deemed honorable, even these rude and fierce tenants
of the forest, like their more nurtured brethren of the court and
the camp, having set up for themselves imaginary and arbitrary
points of honor, to supplant the conclusions of the right and the
decisions of reason.

The Hurons had been divided in their opinions concerning the
probability of their captive's return. Most among them, indeed, had
not expected it possible for a pale-face to come back voluntarily,
and meet the known penalties of an Indian torture; but a few of
the seniors expected better things from one who had already shown
himself so singularly cool, brave and upright. The party had
come to its decision, however, less in the expectation of finding
the pledge redeemed, than in the hope of disgracing the Delawares
by casting into their teeth the delinquency of one bred in their
villages. They would have greatly preferred that Chingachgook
should be their prisoner, and prove the traitor, but the pale-face
scion of the hated stock was no bad substitute for their purposes,
failing in their designs against the ancient stem. With a view to
render their triumph as signal as possible, in the event of the
hour's passing without the reappearance of the hunter, all the
warriors and scouts of the party had been called in, and the whole
band, men, women and children, was now assembled at this single
point, to be a witness of the expected scene. As the castle was
in plain view, and by no means distant, it was easily watched by
daylight, and, it being thought that its inmates were now limited
to Hurry, the Delaware and the two girls, no